overview and connection with past units
In the first unit about research methods, I mentioned that psychologists are interested in human thinking, emotions, and behaviours. Some of those thoughts, feelings, and behaviours will stem from biological bases of behaviour, including genetics and brain structure and maturation (see Unit 2). However, thoughts, feelings and behaviours can also stem from what we encounter in the environment; that is, information that comes to us from the world around us.
The rest of the term is devoted to examining how humans gather information from the environment, what we do with that information once we have it, and how that information goes on to shape our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
This unit on sensation and perception is devoted to the very beginning of this process – How does information from the environment make it to our brains for processing? What happens when that information arrives in the brain?
As the textbook indicates, there are three important elements in the process, and they form the basis of this unit. The first is sensation – that’s the process by which information in the environment is taken in by sensory organs like the eyes and ears.
The second part of the process is attention – there’s too much going on in the environment for us to absorb all of it, so we direct our attention (consciously or unconsciously) to just a small fraction of what’s actually out there.
The third and final step is perception – this is the stage where environmental information (what we have seen, heard, and touched, for example) arrives in the brain and is processed either by System 1, or by Systems 1 and 2 (I'll refer to them as S1 and S2 going forward). The process of perception, then, is what guides our thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to the world around us.
Here is the beginning of a concept map for this unit - we'll add to it as we work through the material.
I'll provide you with a complete map in .pdf format at the end of the unit (so you don't need to worry about copying it down as you go).
The rest of the term is devoted to examining how humans gather information from the environment, what we do with that information once we have it, and how that information goes on to shape our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
This unit on sensation and perception is devoted to the very beginning of this process – How does information from the environment make it to our brains for processing? What happens when that information arrives in the brain?
As the textbook indicates, there are three important elements in the process, and they form the basis of this unit. The first is sensation – that’s the process by which information in the environment is taken in by sensory organs like the eyes and ears.
The second part of the process is attention – there’s too much going on in the environment for us to absorb all of it, so we direct our attention (consciously or unconsciously) to just a small fraction of what’s actually out there.
The third and final step is perception – this is the stage where environmental information (what we have seen, heard, and touched, for example) arrives in the brain and is processed either by System 1, or by Systems 1 and 2 (I'll refer to them as S1 and S2 going forward). The process of perception, then, is what guides our thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to the world around us.
Here is the beginning of a concept map for this unit - we'll add to it as we work through the material.
I'll provide you with a complete map in .pdf format at the end of the unit (so you don't need to worry about copying it down as you go).
big ideas, key concepts, and learning outcomes
Let's start with a demonstration of how we manage information coming in to two of our sensory systems: the visual and auditory systems (that is, things that we see and hear). Take a look at the following short film clip:
Hopefully that demonstration has given you a better idea about some of the quirks related to our ability to process sensory information. This unit will help to clarify how information out there in the world is taken in through sensory organs like the eyes and ears (sensation), and how that information is filtered (attention) before being sent to the brain for processing (perception).
Learning Outcomes:
After completing this online unit, you should be able to:
- Explain the difference between sensation and perception
- Describe where you can find human transducers and explain what do transducers do
- Name four factors that impact whether we pay attention to something in the environment
- Outline the take-home message of the study done by Yarbus (1967)
- Distinguish how the result of the Yarbus study differs from the one done by Simons and Chabris (1999)
- Outline the basic finding of research related to multitasking
- Explain what psychologists mean by selective attention, and describe its consequences
- Name and clearly describe the two forms of “blindness”, including the two reasons why they occur
- Outline three factors that account for individual differences in perception
- Describe three reasons why the sensory organs might contribute to individual differences in perceptions
- Describe one primary reason why experience can lead to similarities in perception, and give three examples
- Describe an example of how experience can lead to differences in perception
- Outline four situational/contextual factors that contribute to individual differences in perception
- Compare top-down and bottom-up processing
